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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: sharp · present · spell · pit · cell · suit · march · cabinet

  1. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  5. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. He was locked up in a ________________.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. pit — a hole
  4. cell — a phone
  5. cell — in biology
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. spell — a short time
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. spell — magic
  11. pit — in a race
  12. cell — in a prison
  13. sharp — clever
  14. march — music
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. march — the month
  17. suit — clothes
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. spell — letters
  20. suit — in cards
  21. suit — to fit
  22. march — the month
  23. present — there
  24. present — the time now

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com